Several residents of Bauchi have shown their excitement over the resumption of the intercity rail service in the and its environs. Several residents, who had been interviewed praised the Nigeria Railway Corporation -NRC, for the encouraging feat adding that this would make transportation easier in the state and also enhance the social and economic development of the state.
The NRC had through its North-East District office on Monday, unveiled the rehabilitated five-kilometer rail line linking Bauchi to the Inkil community along the Bauchi-Gombe Expressway.
The Railway Corporation had suspended rail services in the state for the past 10 years due to the Boko Haram insurgency and vandalism of its facilities in Bauchi.
Mr. Micheal Habu, a resident, had reported that the resumption of the rail service would ease transportation between the Bauchi metropolis and the adjourning communities as he would be using the train service for his errand.
Another resident, Mrs. Grace Audu, who is a trader, opined that life would be easier with the resumption of rail services in the area. She remarked that more people would choose to use the train as against commercial tricyclists or bike riders while highlighting the cheaper rail tickets as compared to the pricey transport fares.
Fellow resident, Aliyu Makaniki had said that commercial activities which formerly closed would henceforth resume at the train station. Makaniki also remarked that the rail service would promote economic growth and change the lives of a lot of residents who rely on railway-related activities.
